


The Missing

by demonofabove



Series: Tainted by Darkness [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Betrayal, Care, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Missing-Nin Hatake Kakashi, Rescue, prisoner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-23 08:09:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonofabove/pseuds/demonofabove
Summary: Rogue missing nin Kakashi has been caught in one of Iruka's traps while his team is returning home from a mission; and they have decided to take him to authorities. However, Iruka and Kakashi got separated from the rest of Iruka's team; and Iruka has decided to return him alone.Can he do it, or will Kakashi slip away?And why does Iruka get the feeling there's more to Kakashi's story?
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Tainted by Darkness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903438
Comments: 77
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

A small, healthy fire crackled in the late afternoon sun. The sky was almost ready to paint itself a different colour, to trade its blue for oranges, reds, and purples; and as the wind cooled the sun's warm breath, preparing for the start of the evening draft, when the shadows first awaken, Iruka was setting up some homemade barrier seals, altered so that only he and his team could walk freely through them, and anyone else who entered became trapped. It wouldn't keep them in there forever, but it gave him and his team time, and the upper hand, which were both valuable to any shinobi. 

As he finished up the final touches, he heard leaves crackling beneath a set of feet, and was vaguely aware of the familiar chakra signature that came with the approaching person; and when he looked up, he saw Mizuki marching triumphantly towards him, his pace speeding up a little when they made eye contact. And approaching from his side was his other teammate, Aoba, who had just returned at the same time with a large bundle of kindling for their fire.

"We've got a live one, you guys!" Mizuki declared, entering their camp.

"Huh? What did we catch?" Aoba asked, dumping the kindling he'd collected in a pile near the fire.

"It's not what, but who."

"You mean we caught a _person_ in one of my traps?" Iruka gawked.

"Yeah. You'll never guess who it is." Mizuki smirked.

"Who?"

"Hatake Kakashi."

"Woah, you mean _the_ Hatake Kakashi?" Aoba asked. "As in, the ANBU who went rogue three years ago?"

"That can't be true. Are you sure it's him?" Iruka asked skeptically. He couldn't fathom the idea of _the_ Hatake Kakashi, once Konoha's top genius, being caught in one of his simple chuunin-level traps.

"See for yourself."

Iruka glanced interestedly at Aoba; and they both followed Mizuki to where the trap was set up. From a distance, Iruka could see an odd shape behind some shrubs, roughly where his trap would be; and as he got closer, he could see that it was definitely a human form; but it really could be anyone. How could Mizuki be so sure it was _him_? At last, they reached the person they'd caught; and for a moment, Iruka was in too much shock to speak. Kakashi looked horrific, like he was fighting for his life.

He was on his knees, with his head hung low; and his normally silver hair had been dulled into a dirty grey, and was hanging messily over his face, wet and matted with a mix of blood, sweat, and mud. He was being hoisted up by his arms, which were hanging above his head; and his wrists were bound tightly in rope from the snare that had been triggered, the skin red, raw, and blistered where he had tried to escape. His limbs were loose and relaxed, and his breathing was slow and ragged, like he was weak, and about to drop at any moment; and his dark clothes, similar to Konoha's shinobi uniform were stained, old, and tattered, with bruises, cuts and other marks peeking through beneath the holes; and looked like he'd been wearing them for months, almost like he had escaped a place of captivity.

"Shit, it's really him. What do you think happened?"

"Dunno. He was like that when I found him." Mizuki shrugged.

"He looks like he was recently in a fight…" Iruka commented, pointing out a trail of fresh blood dribbling out Kakashi's mouth from a split lip.

"Yeah." Aoba agreed. "But the rest of his wounds look a lot older. I wonder what happened…"

"Well, whatever it was, he's incapacitated, so he can't try to kill us now." Mizuki said.

Iruka crouched down and gently brushed a lock of hair away from Kakashi's face, which was hot and sweaty; and he frowned, holding a hand to his forehead. It instantly burned upon contact, telling him right away Kakashi had a fever; and as Iruka took a closer look at him, Kakashi looked up with a tired and heavily dilated right eye, so dark and vacant, like he was in a completely different world.

But Iruka felt like Kakashi was looking directly into his soul, too, with the understanding and acceptance of someone who knew that fate was out of their hands, and that they were about to die _\- do what you like_ , his eyes said; and he couldn't help but notice that even though Kakashi was sure he was going to die, there was a small glint of fear and pleading, like he was trying to ask for help, despite knowing he couldn't. Everything about Kakashi screamed _victim_ ; and despite the fact he was an enemy of the Leaf, Iruka found himself concerned for his wellbeing.

"What are you doing?"

"I think he's been poisoned. Someone bring me my backpack - I've got a poison test kit in there, and some antidotes."

"What? You want to want to waste your supply on _him_? Hatake's an enemy - what happens to him is not our problem." Mizuki exclaimed.

"Well, what do you propose we do, then? We can't just leave him here."

"Why not? Let him free to fend for himself; and if he dies, well, who cares? It's just one guy; and he was a threat, anyway. Hell, I'll even put him out of his misery, myself."

"How can you say that, Mizuki?! Just because he's an enemy, it doesn't mean he has to die!" Iruka exploded. "I know what he's done, and I've heard all the stories; but I think we should treat the poison and take him back with us, instead. The three of us will be able to handle him while he's weak; and when we get to the village, the Hokage can decide what to do with him."

"I agree with Iruka - it's not up to us to decide whether he dies or not. We need to take him to the authorities." Aoba said. "But still… we should be cautious, considering his history…"

"Fine, whatever. But the prisoner is your responsibility. He's gonna die, anyway, so there's really no point in helping him..."

With that, Mizuki stalked off, leaving Iruka to deal with Kakashi. He glanced worriedly at Aoba, who shrugged and shared an expression that said not to worry about Mizuki - it wasn't the first time he'd become stubborn when people disagreed with him. Kakashi's ragged panting filled the silence; and Iruka pulled out a kunai, cutting down the snare that had caught him. He fell into Iruka's arms; and both he and Aoba hoisted him up, ready to take him back to their camp.

"Hold on just a little longer." Iruka said softly. "We're about to get this poison out of you."

Kakashi's posture straightened ever so slightly, and his steps were slightly more stable, like he was trying to put some effort in to move himself; and Iruka took it for what it was - it was the only way he had been able to say thank you. And that small sentiment gave Iruka more confidence in what he was doing.

Of course, he was still unsure; but he wanted to give Kakashi a chance.


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi groaned and shifted as he opened his eyes. He was sore all over, didn't recognise his surroundings; and could not recall what had happened to him. The last thing he actually remembered was… A face. He thought. It was the face of a young Leaf chuunin with a scar across his nose. He was sure he had seen him a few times; but he couldn't recall why. All he knew was that the chuunin had seemed strangely concerned about him.

"Oi, Iruka! He's awake!" A voice called.

Kakashi looked around and saw a different Leaf shinobi - another young adult, with glasses on. Actually, he was sure he knew who he was; but their name slipped his mind. After all, a lot had happened since he'd last been home. Home… Could he even call it that anymore?

There was movement in his peripheral vision, and he listened as gentle footsteps approached him; and when he focused on who it was, he found himself face to face with the scar-nosed chuunin from before. Was he the shinobi named Iruka?

Iruka reached out and put a hand on his forehead; and Kakashi stiffened, not expecting the gentle contact. After a moment watching him and feeling for something, Iruka retracted his hand, and smiled in relief.

"Looks like your fever is nearly gone. How do you feel?"

Kakashi didn't reply, and instead tried to sit himself up higher as he mentally assessed himself; but when he tried to support himself with his hands, he soon discovered he couldn't move them very far. When he looked down, he saw that he had been restrained, which didn't really surprise him; but he was a little curious about its quality. It was chakra resistant, and prevented him from using it - the sort of heavy duty stuff usually only found in T&I and he wondered how these people had gotten a hold of it.

"Ahh, that's..." Iruka said awkwardly.

"We know who you are; and we're taking you back to Konoha." a pale-haired shinobi said. "Or more like they are. I really couldn't care less what happens to you."

There was something off about this guy; and Kakashi couldn't explain why, but he got the impression that they were deceitful and untrustworthy. Iruka and the other shinobi seemed okay; but this guy was, well… He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but _evil_ was the first thing that came to mind. Just like himself, he supposed; but he would get into that another time - he was still too groggy to even touch that can of worms right then. Instead, he looked back at Iruka, who had kind, concerned eyes - the same expression he remembered from before.

"How did I get here?" he asked.

"You really don't remember?"

"My head is a little muddled." he admitted. Stupidly.

Why would he say something like that to people who had captured him and was holding him prisoner? Just because they were from his village, it didn't mean he could let his guard down - they could still use his weaknesses against him, if they wanted to. But when he had looked into Iruka's gentle, honest eyes… there was something there that made him feel like it would be okay to speak. He felt… strangely safe, despite everything.

"You got caught in the trap I set up for hunting." Iruka said. "I figured out that you were poisoned; and you were brought back here so I could treat you."

"Hmn…" Kakashi frowned as he compared this information with his memory.

He vaguely recalled stumbling about in the forest, running away from someone; but he didn't remember getting poisoned, or being caught in the trap. For this group to find him there, though, he must have successfully escaped whoever had gone after him. But that didn't mean he was safe yet, nor were these Leaf shinobi. Whoever was after him could still be looking for him; and if they found that he was with them, then…

"When morning comes, you should leave me behind."

"Nice try, Hatake. We've heard all about what you've been doing these past few years, and we're taking you back to the village to pay for your crimes." The shinobi with glasses said.

"No, you don't understand… I think someone was after me before. If you let me go, I can make sure they don't follow you."

"You don't really expect us to believe that, do you?"

"Do I look like I'm lying?"

Kakashi's eyes flicked back to Iruka, like he was asking him to confirm, to back him up; and up close, Iruka could see everything - all the emotion in his expression, and his genuine gaze, how it seemed completely free of any masks. And as Iruka stared back and took it all in, he knew that Kakashi wasn't lying - even without the poison, and being completely beaten, he would have believed him. Kakashi seemed like an honest man, despite his recent history as a rogue shinobi; and looking at him now, Iruka wondered what happened to make him this way - something was telling him it wasn't in his nature to be a criminal. Perhaps it was in the way he was offering to protect them from an enemy. But that being said, Kakashi's proposal just didn't sit right.

"I believe you," Iruka said, "but Kakashi, I didn't save your life for you to sacrifice yourself the first chance you get. We will come up with another solution."

He put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, and squeezed it firmly.

"I'm responsible for you right now, so you're not allowed to die. Okay?"

A strong wave of nostalgia washed over Kakashi as he felt Iruka's strong resolve. He missed this; the feeling of comradery, and how death and self-sacrifice was never an option for Leaf shinobi. He missed the teamwork, and how laidback yet serious everyone from the village was; and he especially missed those days in Minato's team, how whenever they'd successfully complete a mission, his friends would get excited and physically drag him out to celebrate with them. He missed the laughter and smiles, and even the bickering, to a point; and he wished he could go back in time and experience it all just once more. God, he so badly wanted to be a Leaf shinobi again… But that would never happen. He had caused too much damage over the past few years; and there was no hope of any kind of future in the village.

Dead, or in jail were his only two options.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm done removing the sealing tags. Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm fine here, Iruka. Go and meet up with Mizuki, and tell him I'll be there soon. I think he said he would wait for us by the waterfall."

"Got it."

Iruka left Aoba to clean up the last of their campsite, and set off for the waterfall, smiling to himself. They were another step closer to home. The mission had been pretty simple - they had been guiding a group of noblemen through a passage where people often got mugged; and had gotten through it without a hassle. There had been some bandits try to stop them from passing, but they had been taken out almost instantly; and before they knew it, their group made it safely; and they were on their way home.

There was still a fair way to go, but Iruka was sure the trip would feel faster than normal - it wasn't every day they escorted a dangerous criminal back to the village; and he was wound up in the drama of it all. He was also a little apprehensive about it; about whether it was the right thing to do, whether he and Aoba should have listened to Mizuki after all, or even whether they should have let Kakashi go when he requested it - he didn't want his team to be in any danger, after all.

Even so, would they have really been safe if they let Kakashi go? What's to say his enemies wouldn't go after them, too, despite the fact none of them were a person of interest? Missing nin often hid in the forest - it was one of the easiest places to survive; and there were plenty who attacked shinobi and others passing by, for no reason at all, or just out of boredom. What's to say Kakashi's enemies weren't the same, and that they'd be attacked anyway?

The loud _whoosh_ of running water took Iruka from his thoughts; and when he looked up from the ground, he found Mizuki and Kakashi near the edge of the cliff, by the waterfall's drop. Iruka perked up when he saw his friend, and picked up the pace a little, smiling as he got closer to him. He had been worried the day before, when they'd clashed and Mizuki stormed off; but he seemed to have had a complete change in attitude by the time they had woken, and was on board with the idea of escorting Kakashi home rather than killing him or letting him go. It was a little strange to see Mizuki to change his mind so easily; but Iruka wasn't going to complain - he hated fighting and being on bad terms with his friends.

"Mizuki!" he greeted with a grin.

"Oh, you're done." Mizuki scanned the forest. "Where's Aoba?"

"He'll be here soon - he's just packing the last of his things and clearing up the campsite."

Iruka peered over the edge of the waterfall's cliff, staring in awe at the steep drop below; and he kicked a rock, watching as it fell, and kept falling; and still fell, seconds later. When it finally disappeared into the film of fine mist hiding the pool of water rushing into the rapids below, he took a small step back.

"Wouldn't want to fall off." he commented. "That's almost guaranteed death."

"Almost?" Mizuki questioned. "I'd say certain death."

Kakashi felt uneasy. He didn't miss the way Mizuki had darted his eyes, ever so calculating, over to him when he said 'death'; and he didn't miss the malicious smirk he tried to hide when he looked back at Iruka. This guy was not a normal Leaf shinobi - he seemed more like an enemy.

As Mizuki continued to discuss the drop with Iruka, Kakashi slowly inched his way closer to them, ready to jump into action in case something happened. There wasn't a lot he could do while he was weak, injured, and couldn't use chakra; but his heart was urging him to try. He'd caused enough damage and had done enough killing over the past few years; so if there was even a chance he could save one innocent person from being murdered… Well, it wouldn't make up for all his crimes, but it was a start to atonement - something he could do, now that he'd escaped _that_ place.

Iruka and Mizuki had stopped talking; and while Iruka just watched the water as he waited for Aoba, Mizuki started to pace. Kakashi watched as he scanned the area almost urgently, as though he wanted to make sure they were definitely alone; and when he was satisfied, he casually strolled right towards him. They made eye contact; and Mizuki flashed an unsavoury smirk, telling Kakashi immediately that he was up to something, and that he didn't care if he knew. _What are you going to do about it? You're just a prisoner - they won't believe you over me._ Nausea swirled in Kakashi's stomach as Mizuki stalked him almost predatory - something was definitely about to happen. And finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Say, Iruk- aaaaahhh!"

His eyes widened in surprise as he tripped on a particularly slippery rock; and he stumbled forward, trying to stop himself from falling. But every step he made led him closer to the edge, closer to Kakashi's position; and he tumbled right into him, barging into him hard, sending him stumbling, too.

From an outsider's view, it looked like a complete accident; but Kakashi hadn't missed the way Mizuki had subtly changed the direction he fell to aim right for him; and he didn't miss the slight increase in chakra when he had slammed into him - the entire thing was orchestrated, and Mizuki had gone after him on purpose.

As Kakashi tumbled backwards, unable to use any chakra to keep himself steady, he was very aware of the fact that he was getting closer and closer to the edge; and before he knew it, there was no more ground to slow him down; and he was about to plunge to his death.

In that split second, Kakashi caught movement in his peripheral vision, and saw Iruka scrambling towards him desperately, so focused he almost looked like he was trying to use telekinesis to pull him back. Kakashi could read exactly what he was thinking - Iruka had acted instinctually, and would do anything to save him. But Kakashi knew how that would play out; and he could see in the way Mizuki's eyes watched knowingly, that this was all part of his plan, that he had expected Iruka to try and save him. Mizuki was going to play off Iruka's murder as a tragic accident. Kakashi didn't care if he, himself died - he'd deserved it after everything he'd done; but Iruka was an innocent person, and needed to get home. He had to try and stop him.

"No, don't!" Kakashi yelled, flailing about as he tried to keep him away. _I'm not worth it!_ , he also wanted to say. But before he could, Iruka's feet had already kicked him off the ground, and he was being propelled forward. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that; and Kakashi could do nothing but watch tragedy unfold.

As Iruka leapt in the air, he reached out for him, determined to pull him back onto the cliff; but as he stretched, he just kept on going forward, further and further, closer to the edge of the cliff; and Iruka's focused eyes widened in fear as he made the calculations - he had pushed himself too far in his effort to reach Kakashi, and was going to fall, too. There was nothing he could do to stop himself - his only hope was Mizuki, who hadn't made any move to help; and he soon joined Kakashi, plunging from deathly heights, right into the rapids below.

And soon, he was going to die, too.


	4. Chapter 4

Iruka's lungs were on fire. He couldn't breathe; and there was absolutely no way to get any air. One moment, he had been falling from a cliff, so high up; and the next, he had been pushed deep into the pool of icy water below, cut off from all his senses.

The current knocked him about, pushing him into the base of the river, dragging him along, and slamming him into jarred boulders sticking up through the stream; and he was so disoriented rolling about beneath the water, that he had no idea which way was up anymore; and soon, his world started fading to darkness. He had to get up, though. He had people waiting for him back home, so he had to survive. 

Iruka's body was going numb - it was still early morning, and the sun hadn't had a chance to heat the river, nor had it reached it; and he focused all his chakra into trying to sense where he was, and strengthening his legs - the quicker he got out of here, the quicker he could get warm. And as he tumbled about, flailing in the darkness as his body frantically searched for air, he felt something solid and flat, like he'd reached the bottom of the river; and he pushed up with all his might, shooting through the water, and breaking free of its surface.

He heaved for air, desperate to cool his burning lungs; and finally, the darkness started to disappear. But then a giant gush of water splashed right into his face, knocking him below the surface again; and he started choking as a large mouthful slivered into his airway, burning his throat as it shot through.

He pulled himself back up, kicking hard to keep his head held high; and as he coughed the water out of his system, he couldn't inhale oxygen fast enough; and a slight panic set in as he became desperate to breathe again. Finally, his airway cleared and his lungs filled with air; and as he figured out what to do from here, panting as he tried to stay afloat, he heard a faint spluttering sound nearby. He looked ahead, even further down the rapids; and he found Kakashi wedged in between two elongated, leaning boulders, struggling to keep himself from going under as water kept rushing to and slapping his face.

Adrenaline flowed through Iruka's body as he became overwhelmed with a sense of urgency; and he channelled his chakra into his arms, too, and started swimming freestyle towards Kakashi, desperate to get to him. If he didn't get there soon, Kakashi would definitely drown - there was no way he would be able to swim through this with his arms restrained, and unable to use chakra.

"Kakashi!" he called as he got closer. "I'm coming!"

The current pushed him towards Kakashi faster than he expected; slamming him hard into one of the boulders sticking up in the middle of the water; and he frantically gripped onto it as tight as he could, so he didn't get separated from Kakashi again. He managed to climb up the rock with the flattest slope, and pulled Kakashi up, too; and for a moment, they sat there in silence, gasping for breath as Iruka assessed where to go from here. Finally, he turned back to Kakashi, who had a fresh wound on his head, mixing blood in with the water dripping down his body. He didn't seem dazed and out of it, which was a good sign; but Iruka was still worried he had a concussion. For now though, he had to push his worries aside so they could get out of here and find somewhere to properly rest. His eyes fell to Kakashi's restraints.

"If I take those off, will you be able to swim to shore?"

Kakashi nodded. His body was bruised, and he was sure he had broken something - maybe a rib or two; but that was nothing compared to what he'd already been through - he could handle the pain.

"Right." Iruka said, releasing him from the cuffs, zipping them securely in a pouch around his hips. "Follow me if you don't want to drown."

With the last of their strength, Kakashi and Iruka took off for the shore, swimming diagonally along the flow of the current, trying to avoid other stones and obstacles. It was hard work with the rapids trying to push them under, even whilst using chakra for help; and about halfway across, they were both getting exhausted. Nevertheless, they kept going - they had to if they wanted to survive.

Finally, Kakashi saw Iruka climbing ashore; and as he approached, he was greeted with an extended hand, waiting to pull him up. Kakashi gripped hold as the current tried to push him away; and before he knew it, he was lying on solid ground, on a patch of grass, panting heavily as he caught his breath. He couldn't believe that he was still alive.

"C-Come on. W-We can't s-stay here." Iruka eventually said, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. "It's t-too wet for a f-fire."

Iruka was right - there was no way they could start a fire here; and they definitely needed one after being in ice cold water for as long as they had, and still being in wet clothes. But even so, Kakashi didn't really feel like he could move. His muscles were still a little shaky from working so hard to get ashore, despite the break they'd had to catch their breath; and the pain from some of his earlier injuries was catching up to him. It felt like his body was giving up after everything so far.

"I c-can't move." Kakashi said, shivering in place. He'd be embarrassed if he wasn't so damn exhausted.

"Well t-then, I'll help you. I-I think I see a s-spot nearby we can g-go."

Iruka stood up, despite his legs feeling like jelly, threatening to make him topple over the moment he moved; and he made his way to Kakashi, bending down and wrapping an arm around his body to help lift him up. Kakashi bit back a cry of pain, wincing as he made an effort to move - he was able to tell that Iruka was almost as exhausted as he was, and didn't think it would be fair for him to do all the work; and as his muscles, limbs, and body in general protested any and all movement, Kakashi ignored them and kept going - he had to do this to survive.

He staggered along, dripping wet, with Iruka by his side, supporting as much of his weight as he could; and after some time struggling to move, he saw a small clearing ahead, with leaves and fallen branches of all sizes scattered around the ground - the perfect place to quickly build a fire.

When they got there, Iruka helped set Kakashi down against the trunk of a maple tree; and he quickly got to work on a fire, using a jutsu to set it alight. It was so warm and comforting that he was almost compelled to sit in the fire itself; but instead, he went back to Kakashi and moved him closer to get warm, too.

When he felt like he could move again after that, Iruka unzipped his vest, and took off his shirt, leaving it close to the fire to dry; and then he glanced at Kakashi who was staring into the flames longingly, like he was expecting, and wanted it to wrap a blanket around him.

"You should get out of your clothes, too - you'll heat up faster." he said, unclasping his pants as he followed his own advice.

"Yeah." Kakashi nodded numbly, wondering how he had forgotten something so simple; and he started to take his shirt off.

Iruka ignored him, searching through his vest; and he pulled out a summoning scroll. He opened it and drew blood, wiping it across the parchment; and as he mentally pictured what he wanted, there was a small puff of smoke; and settled neatly in front of him was a small pile of clothes. He smiled to himself, pleased that he had prepared this in advance; and he slipped his fresh, dry pants on. He was about to put the shirt on, too; but he looked over at Kakashi; and all he could do was stare in horror.

Scattered across his chest was a series of small red circular burns, like someone had used him to put out their cigarettes; and alongside the grazes and small cuts he'd gotten from being thrown around under water, there were fresh, pink scars from stab wounds and incisions, like he had been interrogated with a sadist holding a kunai. His lower stomach had similar wounds, as well as a laceration that was healing just below his waist, which had been cleaned with the heavy rush of water from the river. It was also bleeding a little where it had reopened after all the thrashing about after the fall, trickling down Kakashi's skin like the wound on his forehead where he had slammed into the boulders. And alongside all that, his entire torso was scattered in bruises, where he'd been beaten; and right near his hips was… Iruka felt sick to his stomach.

There were two deep, dark bruises shaped like large handprints marking Kakashi's body. The fingerprints were darker, showing where they had been dug into his abdomen; and the palm had spread to his sides and possibly further back, clearly marking his attacker's position. Iruka also spotted a couple more handprints on his shoulders, a little lighter, indicating that they were either older, or less force was used to mark him. Either way, he was didn't need his imagination to know what had happened there, why there were handprints on Kakashi's body; and he could tell just by looking at the colour of the bruising, how hard his attacker's grip had to have been to leave marks like that. And after seeing all this in the front, Iruka was afraid to see what Kakashi looked like from behind. 

When Kakashi realised Iruka was looking, he turned away and drew his knees up, trying to cover his torso; and an expression of shame and disgust filled his face. It was something he clearly didn't want to talk about; and Iruka didn't blame him - what he had seen was awful. Sure, Kakashi was an enemy to Konoha, and a lot of other places now; but Iruka didn't think anyone deserved that, to be tortured and abused.

Unease settled in his heart as he noticed how Kakashi had zoned out of this world, and was hugging his legs tightly, like he was reliving a nightmare. Just what had he gone through; and what had happened for him to end up this way? 

"Here…" Iruka eventually said, handing his shirt to Kakashi. "I don't know if it will fit, but it has to be better than what you were wearing before. Though you might want to try and stop that wound from bleeding first."

"Thanks." Kakashi replied quietly.

He really didn't deserve Iruka's kindness; but he was grateful for it.


	5. Chapter 5

When Kakashi opened his eyes, he found that he was restrained again. He didn't remember dozing off - the fire must have lulled him to sleep, and he wasn't sure how long he'd been out; but it had clearly been some time, considering the sun was now wide awake and beaming across the forest. As he sat up and looked around, he didn't see Iruka anywhere; and wondered what he was doing - he didn't think he'd just left him there to fend for himself. Not after everything that had happened.

Kakashi's eyes fell to the ground; and he noticed some food set up within reach. Spread across a few large maple leaves was a couple of large apples, and a small pile of berries; and next to that was Iruka's canteen, intentionally left there for him. Kakashi's mouth twitched almost into a smile at the gesture as he went for the water; and he opened the bottle, satisfying his thirst with a few gulps. He could have had more, but he wanted to make sure he left enough for Iruka - it was his canteen after all, and he didn't know if there was any fresh water nearby. Instead, he bit into an apple; and his tastebuds screamed in delight when they were met with the sweet, juicy sensation. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever had in his life, or so it felt after being starved and deprived of nutrition for so long; and he munched on it ravenously.

About halfway through, he heard a twig snap nearby; and when his gaze followed the sound, he saw Iruka approaching, wrapping some thin rope into a ball and shoving it down one of his pouches. It was the kind of rope generally used for traps that caught smaller animals, so he must have had time to do some hunting; but by the looks of it, he hadn't been successful. Even so, it didn't seem to dampen his mood. In fact, he seemed particularly happy about something. When Iruka noticed Kakashi watching him, he beamed.

"I'm glad you're awake!" he called. "I want to tell you the plan."

Iruka settled down beside him, crossing his legs; and when he was comfortable, he began.

"As you can probably tell, we've been here for more than a few hours." he said, subconsciously picking up a leaf by his feet, and slowly peeling it apart. "I thought it would be good to wait for a bit to see if Aoba and Mizuki would come down to look for us; but it's been long enough, and I haven't detected any sign of activity, so I think they've moved on."

Mizuki… That name put a bad taste in Kakashi's mouth. He couldn't believe that lowlife had tried to kill his own teammate, and passed it off as an accident. More than likely, Iruka's team hadn't come looking for him because Mizuki would have convinced Aoba that he was dead, and that there was no point searching for a body because of how strong the current would be; so it didn't surprise him that Iruka had been abandoned. Still... _If I ever run into that bastard again…_ Kakashi aggressively chewed the last of his apple, and threw the core to the side.

"I know where they're going, though." Iruka continued, breaking his destroyed leaf into even smaller pieces. "There's a weird stone formation east of the waterfall that we found on the way to our mission; and last night we discussed staying there next. So I was thinking if we head over that way, we might be able to catch up with them. And if they're not there, well, I know their trail; so we'll just keep going after them until we find them."

"Then first, we have to get back up to the top of the waterfall."

"Yeah… That should be easy enough. Right?"

Apparently, it wasn't. It turned out Iruka had absolutely no idea where he was leading them, at all.

"Maa, Iruka, I think we've already passed this tree." Kakashi said, for the third time in the past half an hour.

"Shut up. I know where I'm going!" Iruka grumbled. Kakashi wasn't so sure about that.

"I'm good at navigation, you know. I could take us to your comrades quite easily, if you let me lead." he offered.

He had been feeling a little useless, having to be saved twice and being unable to help with anything; so he thought this would be a good opportunity to do something for Iruka.

"I'm sure you could."

"You don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't - I just don't know enough about you to know whether I can trust you or not." Iruka answered. "So I'm going to do this, myself."

"Fair enough."

Truth be told, Iruka could use Kakashi's help. He knew very well that he was lost - navigating without a map wasn't his strong suit; but it was in his nature to try and fix his mistakes and figure things out for himself before relying on someone else, especially someone who was supposed to be an enemy; so he wanted to hold off on accepting Kakashi's offer. However, the longer he held off, the less confident he began to feel about being able to do it himself.

"Ah, Iruka." Kakashi said uncertainly, gently tapping his shoulder.

"Hold on, Kakashi. I'm trying to concentrate."

"It's just…" he said hesitantly, "You're about to lead us right into a giant wasp nest."

"Huh?" Iruka stopped in his tracks.

He suddenly became aware of the buzzing around him, and all the movement in his peripheral vision; and the more he focused, the more wasps he seemed to find, and the bigger they seemed to be; and then he found the nest, barely a metre away. He backed up slowly, careful not to disturb it, nor any of the wasps coming to and fro; and when he thought they were a safe distance away, he grabbed Kakashi's arms and turned his body towards him in frustration.

"Why the hell didn't you say something sooner?!" he scolded. "You could have been swarmed, too, you know!"

"Maa, I thought you knew. We have passed it a few times, after all."

"Bullshit. You're just trying to mess with me." Iruka glowered, letting go of Kakashi and placing his hands on his hips.

"Now, now, no need to get grumpy - it was just a little mistake." Kakashi hummed. "I'll be more careful next time."

"You'd better, or you're going to wish I never saved you." Iruka huffed. "Let's keep going."

A small smile crept on Kakashi's face as Iruka dragged him along. It had been a long time since he'd been able to tease someone like this; and he felt like he had just taken a breath of fresh air, like the rain had stopped after so long and there was promise of sunlight soon. He felt like he'd had a chance to be normal again; and he was grateful for that, even if it was just a little while.

It wasn't too long after they encountered the wasps that Kakashi was sure he'd spotted a track that would lead them up to where they needed to be. He thought it was pretty obvious, in plain sight; but Iruka hadn't seemed to notice, and was taking them right past it.

"Iruka… Shouldn't we be taking that path over there?"

"No, I'm sure this is the right way."

"Well, why are we heading south? Isn't the waterfall, and where you want to go next in the east?"

"We are going ea-" Iruka stopped in his tracks and looked around; and suddenly felt so lost he could barely tell which way was left and right.

"You know what? I give up." he grumbled. " _You_ lead the way, since you're so clever."

"Don't mind if I do." Kakashi said, just a little too smugly.

"Asshole." Iruka whispered under his breath.

Kakashi chuckled to himself as he quickly worked out where to go. Harassing Iruka was more rewarding than he expected it to be, and the most fun he'd had in ages.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. It had been mid-afternoon when they reached the top of the waterfall again; and it was just coming on sunset when they had finally decided on a place to camp out for the night. There was less than half a day's distance to their next destination; but after travelling so much already, both Kakashi and Iruka were ready to rest.

Once they set up hunting traps and got a fire going, Kakashi sat down, not entirely sure how he could help anymore; and Iruka sat beside him and took a swig from his canteen before passing it over. While Kakashi drank, Iruka rummaged through his vest pockets, and pulled out a handful of tags, laying them out in front of him, as though he was sorting them out; and when Kakashi got a glimpse of them, he was immediately curious - he had never seen designs like that before.

"Where did you get those from?"

"Oh, these are my sealing and barrier tags. I made a few different types; and I'm just deciding which ones will be best to set up tonight."

"You made those _yourself_?"

"Ah, yeah." Iruka blushed. "It's a little hobby of mine."

He launched into a quick explanation of what each tag was supposed to do, and how he could alter them so that specific chakra signatures weren't affected; and the longer Kakashi listened, the more impressed he became. Iruka had put a lot of thought into his designs, and was highly skilled in this; and he thought anyone would be lucky to have him on their team. Although the fact that he easily shared this information, and seemed to have mostly let his guard down around him was a little bit of a worry - he could easily be taken advantage of.

By the time Iruka was finished talking, he had decided on the tags he was going to use, and left to set them up. He started with a set of seals that trapped anyone who entered it, placing them around the campsite to stop Kakashi from trying to sneak away; and then he ventured a little further out and added a barrier around the perimeter that would set off some explosives wherever it was dispelled, to alert them of any enemies nearby - a precaution he needed to take, since they both had to sleep, and he was hesitant about letting Kakashi keep watch.

On his way back, Iruka checked the traps they'd set up earlier; and was pleased to find they'd caught a fowl, and would have something decent to eat that night. When he returned, he quickly prepared it to cook while Kakashi tended to the fire when necessary; and soon, they were sitting side by side again, enjoying their meal after such an exhausting day.

As Iruka finished the last of his portion, he suddenly felt like he was being watched; and he turned his head towards Kakashi, who seemed to be studying him contently.

"W-What?" he blushed. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Kakashi replied, his mouth twitching into a small smile.

"Then what is it?" Iruka asked curiously. Kakashi glanced away shyly; and his cheeks became tinged with a light pink.

"I just want to thank you..." he said. "For saving me. And for everything else since then. I don't deserve it; but I really appreciate it."

"I-It's nothing, really." Iruka replied sheepishly, habitually running a finger across the scar on his nose as his blush deepened. "I was just doing what I felt was right."

"Well, in any case…" Kakashi said, stealing another glance at him as he relaxed his posture.

"I'm glad I'm in your care."


	6. Chapter 6

Kakashi's eyes sprung wide open as something warm brushed against his shoulder then pressed into his side. His heart pounded wildly in a panic, and his body tensed as he felt fingers curl around his arm, holding onto him; and he froze, scared of what would come next; scared that if he made any sudden move, that hand would tighten its grip around him, and he'd be thrown around then pegged down, unable to do anything but submit to the person above him. He was afraid of being punished like that again _-_ he was still hurting from last time.

Kakashi kept very still when he started to feel warm breath tickling his neck; and all he could think about was what would happen next - it wasn't the first time they had gone after him while he'd been sleeping in his cell. But as his body began to tremble, and he choked back oncoming tears; as he waited for the pain, for his clothes to be ripped from him, for greedy, filthy hands to slide their way all along his body, touching him however they liked, Kakashi slowly came to realise something. None of that was going to happen - he wasn't _there_ anymore. He had escaped. Instead, he told himself as he took deep breaths to calm his nerves, the person pressed against him was just Iruka, who had simply rolled over in his sleep. But still, he had to be sure, he had to check.

Kakashi carefully turned from his back to his side; and instantly caught sight of Iruka's body. He was curled up facing him; and his arms, which were bent and close to his face, were slightly extended, and one of them was resting on his own arm. Kakashi felt a rush of relief flood through him after confirming he was still safe and definitely away from _that_ place; and his eyes lingered on Iruka's sleeping face, which was just inches away from his. His expression had an air of innocence he hadn't seen in a shinobi before, of something soft and pure; and he found it very soothing. Kakashi lay there, watching Iruka soundly sleep, feeling his warmth, that of a companion against him; and his adrenaline soon began to subside, and he was able to relax once more. But he didn't go back to sleep - he couldn't after that.

It was perhaps an hour later, as the sun began to rise, that Iruka began to stir; and Kakashi took that as his cue to gently shift away from him, and sit up. Once he'd gotten used to having Iruka against him, he hadn't really minded how close they'd been sleeping; but he wasn't sure how Iruka would feel, so he thought it was best to keep a little distance.

Iruka woke a little while later, a little tired but in a good mood; and it wasn't long after, that he deactivated his tags and they cleaned up the campsite, making sure all the traps had been taken down, the fire was out, and that it didn't really look like anyone had been there. Iruka checked his canteen, which was half-full; and since there was no source of fresh water in this area to fill it completely, he decided it was time to go. He didn't have any time to waste if he wanted to catch up with his friends, after all.

As the day drew on, Kakashi followed closely behind Iruka, who knew where he was going this time, having taken the trail before; and they marched on through the forest swiftly, determined to reach their next checkpoint. Iruka was pleased because they were making good time, and it felt like they would get there even faster than expected.

The trail they were following started to climb after a while, taking them up a hill; and when they reached the top, Kakashi noticed that Iruka seemed to be more energetic than ever, despite the fact that they had been travelling for hours. And when they made eye contact, Iruka ginned and motioned for him to come over; and pointed off a little way into the distance.

"We're nearly there! And if you look close enough into the horizon, you can just make out the mountain range behind the village." he said. "We'll be there in no time!"

"We've really come that far, huh?" Kakashi said, more to himself as he stared at the familiar mountains in the distance.

It would only be a couple of days or so before they reached Konoha; and from there, there was no telling what would happen to him. But rather than mull over that, he decided he'd might as well try and enjoy these last moments while he could, since it would be the last time he'd ever get to experience this again.

As they approached, Kakashi discovered Iruka was right about the stone formation being strange. It wasn't like any of the other boulders that seemed to have been randomly placed in the forest - there seemed to be an order to these ones, like they used to be part of a bigger structure. He first thought that perhaps they were ruins, the way they seemed to be balanced like an entrance way; but there was nothing else around that indicated people ever used to live or visit here - there weren't even any foundations outlining the layout of any old buildings, nor any paraphernalia to indicate a shine of some kind. It was just forest, and these oddly placed rocks.

Perhaps instead, an earth user did that just to mess with people, and purposely made them look unnatural; but even so, even though there weren't any others in sight, it didn't look like earth jutsu stone - it was like the rest of boulders in the forest, so they would have had to carry them from somewhere… How the stone formation got here was a complete mystery; and it bothered Kakashi that he couldn't figure it out. Maybe one day he would; but apparently not that day.

"Can you see anything? A message of some kind? A sign that someone was here?" Iruka asked as he wandered around the area.

Kakashi looked around, studying the area more carefully, searching for the usual signs that someone had been around - flattened grass, unusual cuts and slices in trees, ashes from a fire, and so forth; but the more he searched, the cleaner it seemed to be, like no one had been through here at all. He was just about to share his findings with Iruka, when something caught his eye; and he squatted down to investigate.

"Iruka, can you come here for a moment? I think I found a footprint; but I'm not entirely sure if it's from the Leaf uniform."

"Where? Let me see." Iruka asked eagerly, almost hurrying over to where Kakashi was.

Kakashi pointed it out - a clear indent in some slightly moist dirt, almost hidden under a crinkled leaf; and Iruka put his foot next to it, pressing down to make his own footprint. He squatted down to compare them, noticing that his shoe matched the shape and pattern of the one beside it, despite being a couple of sizes smaller; and he frowned. A Leaf shinobi had definitely been through here; but that wasn't Mizuki's footprint - they shared the same size. It could be Aoba's, he supposed; but he wasn't certain. And why was there only one footprint in the first place? Since they were travelling as a pair, wouldn't there be more?

"Did you find anything else?" he asked, turning to Kakashi, hoping to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Kakashi shook his head.

"It looks like whoever was here just passed right through. There are no signs that anyone has stayed here overnight."

"Oh…" Iruka said dejectedly, sitting cross-legged on the ground as he continued to stare at the footprint. He sat there in silence, thinking to himself; and after a moment, Kakashi joined him, and put his restrained hands on his knee awkwardly, in an effort to be comforting.

"Um, are you okay?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, I suppose…" Iruka sighed. "I guess I was just hoping they would be here or have left a message for me. But as you said, they didn't even stay here the night; and judging by that footprint, they weren't hurrying either, so I don't think they were rushing back to get help. I can understand why they'd think I'd be dead, but… It's like they didn't even give me a chance, like they don't believe in me…"

Kakashi saw the sadness and pain in Iruka's eyes; and he was pissed. Mizuki, that conniving son of a bitch, knew what Iruka was like, and knew that if there was a chance he'd survived, that this is what he'd be doing, trying to catch up and reunite with them; and he was doing everything he could to make sure that didn't happen, for whatever cruel reason he had decided on. Kakashi despised assholes like that; and he was itching to kill him after everything he'd done so far, because Iruka didn't deserve any of this pain.

"We will get to them. I promise."

"Thanks." Iruka said.

He placed a hand over his, as a small pocket of warmth beat in his heart; and a small smile crept on his face. The longer he spent with Kakashi, the easier it was to forget why they were together in the first place...

He was nothing at all like the stories at home made him out to be.


	7. Chapter 7

"Kakashi, may I take a look at your injuries?" Iruka asked apprehensively.

He had been unsure how Kakashi would react with the request, remembering how he had instinctively covered his body that first day, wanting to hide what was there; and he didn't want to upset him, but he really needed to ask. Kakashi's reluctance and fear was the reason he had been given some privacy to deal with his injuries himself, and why Iruka hadn't asked about them or tried to see them since; but as time passed, he had become increasingly worried as he noticed the finer details. Like how Kakashi would sometimes limp when they travelled; and how he usually fought back a wince when he was sitting down or getting up - slowly, mind you. And Iruka finally felt like it was time to bring it up and check on him, just in case. Perhaps Kakashi would be a little more open now that they had been travelling together for what felt like a while now.

"Ah... I don't..." Kakashi answered uncertainly.

He was filled with panic, his mind racing with thousands of muddled up thoughts; and he was ready to say no before he had even processed what had been asked. And then he realised that he had been _asked_ , not ordered; and that Iruka was genuinely seeking permission to look at him; and he thought about it a little more, trying to imagine how he would feel and if he would be okay exposing his body. Maybe, if it was him...

"I just want to make sure your wounds are healing," Iruka said gently, "and help you replace your bandage while we have time - it must be hard doing it on your own."

Actually, no. He didn't want Iruka to replace his bandage. He didn't want Iruka to see his tainted body, to see those disgusting marks on his skin. He didn't want Iruka to see exactly what had happened to him, to see all the details. No. Iruka didn't need to know all that.

"It's fine, really. I can do it myself." Kakashi brushed off lightly.

"But you haven't been able to check your back. I'm worried there's something there that may need tending to, too..."

"N-No. There's not." he said. "I don't hurt back there."

Iruka could tell right away that Kakashi was lying. He had been watching him carefully, and had seen how his eyes were pleading _no_ ; how they were praying for this conversation to end; how his expression shifted from considering, to fear, to absolutely no way in hell. Kakashi wanted to keep this part of him private; and although Iruka was a little disappointed that he wasn't allowed to help, he understood, and decided it would be best to back off again.

"I see. I won't ask anymore." Iruka said softly. "But if you ever have a problem, please tell me right away. You don't have to manage it alone."

"Mn." Kakashi replied, staring absently at the ground.

Iruka felt guilty, knowing he had made Kakashi uncomfortable, and reminded him of something he had clearly been trying to forget; and he wanted to do something to fix the atmosphere. Suddenly, he had an idea; and he unclipped one of his vest pockets, and started to rummage through it. And a moment later, he found what he was looking for, and his eyes lit up.

"Ah-ha!" he grinned, pulling his hand out of his vest. Kakashi shot him a slightly intrigued look.

"Bet you can't guess what I've got in here." Iruka smirked, holding up his summoning scroll.

"I... really couldn't." There was no telling what could be in that.

"I almost forgot I had this, actually - it's something I was given on my mission." Iruka commented as he unravelled the scroll. He looked at Kakashi. "Actually, I think it's something you would really like…"

"Hmn? Something I would like? What is it?" Kakashi asked, eyeing off the scroll curiously, his angst completely forgotten.

"I'm not telling." he teased. "But if you close your eyes, I'll let you smell it, and you can guess what it is."

"Okay, sure."

Kakashi followed Iruka's instructions; and he listened as Iruka retrieved the mystery item from his scroll before approaching. When he was close enough, he gently unravelled a bag of some kind, and placed it by his nose. Kakashi inhaled deeply, very interested to find out why he had to smell the object; and almost instantly, he was met with the scent of something fresh and inviting, and also kind of earthy, almost as if he had entered some kind of nature reserve and he was standing right in front of a shrub. But that wasn't quite it. It was something he recognised, that made him a little homesick; something that he hadn't smelled in a while that, now that he remembered it, he really missed.

It reminded him of how it felt to be rugged up and warm on a cold winter's night, of something that would fill his heart and soul, of something that gave him a pleasant feeling in his chest while he sat and read in a tree at the park; and it took him to a place of relaxation, where nothing could go wrong, reminding him of a comforting sensation. It was something he was familiar with, that he used to enjoy after a long day, or returning home from a mission; and a scent that he remembered would always put him in a good mood, even on the coldest and dreariest of mornings. But it couldn't be… Could it?

"I-Is that what I think it is?"

"It sure is."

"You mean you've got… _tea_?" Kakashi opened his eyes and stared at Iruka, who was grinning at him, then at the bag of tea leaves right in front of him, and back again. Although it was clearly there, he couldn't believe it. He hadn't seen tea in such a long time.

"I couldn't possibly keep it all for myself, so…" Iruka smiled kindly with rosy cheeks as he drew the bag away from Kakashi's face, "Would you like to share it with me?"

"I… guess that would be nice." he admitted, glancing away shyly as his cheeks became stained in light pink. Iruka was being way too generous towards him, and Kakashi didn't know how to handle it; though accepting the offer seemed to be the right thing to do, because Iruka looked particularly delighted, being able to make him a cup of tea.

Iruka happily drew more blood from his thumb, and pulled out a metal camping jug and two matching mugs from his scroll, setting them aside; and then he grabbed his recently filled canteen, and emptied its contents into the jug, filling it to the brim. He was pleased - they could get a couple of cups each out of this; and there was a fresh water stream nearby if they wanted more later. Iruka put the jug on the edge of the fire, settled right onto two long strips of burning coal; and he sat back, waiting impatiently for the water to boil - he was eager to try this tea with Kakashi.

When the water was finally ready, Iruka carefully poured it into one of the prepared mugs, feeling warm and comforted as he watched the liquid grow dark, and the steam wafting gently above the surface; and when it was full, he handed it to Kakashi, who cradled it in both hands. While Iruka made his own, Kakashi brought his tea up to his face to smell it, inhaling the sweet but earthy therapeutic aroma as the mug's heat caressed his skin. About a minute later, Iruka's drink was ready; and they both drank at once, sipping silently as the liquid reached their very cores.

"So? What do you think?" Iruka eventually asked. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"That's an understatement." Kakashi replied, taking another soothing sip, feeling the tea's warmth caress his whole.

Iruka beamed. He was really pleased to know Kakashi was enjoying this just as much; and was grateful he'd been able to remove the tension cast from the earlier conversation.

As the night dragged on, Iruka and Kakashi spent a good portion of the time chatting over several cups of tea; and Kakashi was content hearing about what had been happening in the village over the past few years, and what his friends were doing; and he shared some stories of his own, being taken on a trip of nostalgia. And slowly, as he got closer to Iruka, becoming lost in conversation, a warmth brewed in his heart, spreading a comforting feeling across his body. For the first time in years, he was truly happy; and he knew it was Iruka who had made him this way. Iruka… who would be taking him home in a day or two.

If only they could have spent more time together…


	8. Chapter 8

**_BOOM!_ **

The ground rumbled ferociously across the forest, shaking the treetops; and the birds settled within woke up and screamed as they sped out in their flocks, flying through the moonlit night. Nocturnal hunters scampered away, as fearful as their prey; and bugs and worms buried themselves deeper underground, praying they wouldn't be found. As all the wildlife hid and ran, it wasn't long before the area was completely deserted, and there was nothing around. That is, nothing, except for Kakashi and Iruka, who had just been shaken awake. 

"What was that?!" Kakashi asked in alarm, his heart pounding fast.

"One of my barrier traps. There's an enemy coming."

Adrenaline started to flow through Kakashi's body; and as his muscles tensed, and his senses heightened, he scanned the forest in the direction the bomb had been set off, automatically getting into formation with Iruka. As he searched their surroundings, quickly waking and becoming alert, he saw a flicker of movement in the shadows; and while he tracked it with his ears, he turned to Iruka.

"Uncuff me! Quick!" he hissed urgently. "I can't help you fight like this!"

Without a second thought, Iruka released Kakashi from his restraints, and stashed them in his pouch. Although he couldn't say he completely trusted him yet, he had been with Kakashi long enough now to know he wouldn't use the chance to run, and that he did intend to fight; and he was grateful for that, because he knew Kakashi was strong; and he felt more confident knowing he would be fighting alongside someone who knew what they were doing.

As soon as he was free, Kakashi felt around Iruka's leg, searching blindly for his kunai pouch as he switched his visual attention to the moving figure circling them in the treetops. He caught a glint in the moonlight just as he grabbed a kunai; and he brought it up defensively, knocking the weapon that had been aimed at him out of the way.

"Do you need anything else?" Iruka asked as it fell to the ground.

"No, I'll use jutsu."

"Got it." he nodded. "Let's go."

Iruka attached an explosive tag to a kunai and threw it towards the person attacking them, and set up a timed one where he and Kakashi had been resting; and then he leapt away, joining Kakashi, who was waiting for him just out of range of the explosions.

The first one went off, creating an eruption of fire right where the enemy had been; and as they flickered out of the way, racing forward to catch up to Iruka and Kakashi, the second timed tag went off, and they were caught in the explosion.

Iruka and Kakashi studied their surroundings closely, searching for the shinobi moving through the smoke, listening out for some kind of noise to tell them their location, to see if the enemy had been caught or escaped the attack; but they couldn't detect anything other than their chakra signature. Then when the smoke finally cleared, they saw everything they needed to know - a wall of hardened earth had risen from the ground, right where the explosion had been. Their attacker was clearly on the other side.

Kakashi and Iruka gripped their weapons, waiting in anticipation for the enemy to reappear, or for them to attack; and suddenly the ground began to rumble, and deep cracks splintered through the earth, creating a giant sinkhole that swallowed the surrounding trees. The cracks on the outskirts grew larger and travelled towards them faster, reaching Iruka's feet in a split second; and he leapt back to escape the attack. But as he landed on the branch of a tree, the tree began to quickly sink, falling into the deep abyss the enemy had created; and he flitted across a few more, until he was out of range of the jutsu.

Iruka glanced by his side, expecting Kakashi to be along the outskirts of the jutsu, too; but he wasn't there. Instead, he had charged forward when the ground had collapsed and broke around them; and he had just smashed through the enemy's defensive wall in one lightning-charged hit. The shattered earth cast a mild smokescreen across the area again; and Iruka heard the clinking of metal, and heavy, loud thuds as Kakashi and the enemy faced off, one on one.

Iruka felt confident that Kakashi would win - being a lightning user, he had the upper hand; but he didn't want to stand around doing nothing, so he worked his way over to the battlefield, carefully avoiding the deep gouges in the ground. 

He arrived just in time; as a mound of stone rose from the surface, latching onto Kakashi's legs and up his body, wrapping him in place; and the enemy, a man, he could see now, flung a kunai right at him, aiming for his heart. Thinking quickly, Iruka threw his own to deflect it, knocking it out of the way when it was just inches away from Kakashi's body; and the man turned his head towards him almost curiously, as though he was reconsidering whether he was a threat or not. 

Iruka looked back, taking in the details, which he could see now that all the smoke had cleared; and saw that their enemy was a man with skin as dark as him, muscular and scarred; and he had strange markings down his neck, almost fully hidden beneath the mop of long dreadlocks swirling down his head.

He had a stoic, blank expression, almost as if he was thinking nothing at all; and Iruka got the impression that this wasn't any ordinary enemy, and that he was working for someone. He did seem to be fighting like an assassin, after all, aiming to kill, without hesitation. Iruka's mind exploded with questions; and he couldn't help but wonder if this man was working for one of the people who hurt Kakashi, going after him to tie up loose ends. If he was…

Iruka flicked through a series of hand signs; and he was soon surrounded by several balls of fire, which he sent hurdling straight towards the enemy. While he was dodging, Kakashi took the opportunity to break free of the rock he was trapped in, using his lightning to crumble it; and he charged right for the man with a lightning blade ready, aiming for his chest. It hadn't taken long for him to realise this was a kill or be killed situation; and he wasn't going to be the one getting killed. Not while he had someone to protect.

Kakashi got closer and increased the power of his attack, ready to strike; and just as he made his move, the enemy sheltered himself with a thick earth wall. Kakashi shattered it in an instant; but instead of finding the enemy on the other side, all he saw was a hole, where he had burrowed underground.

"Iruka, get ready! He's beneath the surface!" Kakashi called out.

A couple of minutes passed, and nothing happened; but Iruka stayed alert, gripping his kunai and an explosive tag tightly. He had a counter for when the enemy attacked; but he would only have a second or two at most to be able to do it, so he had to concentrate to get the timing right.

Finally, Iruka felt the ground rumble beneath his feet; and he quickly made a clone as the man shot up, punching heavily with a fist wrapped in stone. Iruka jumped away, trying to avoid the blow but also keeping close to the fist; and while the enemy was focused on trying to hit him, Iruka's clone snuck up behind him and attached an explosive tag to the top of his shirt, near his shoulder. When the clone disappeared, Iruka flitted away even faster, no longer teasing as he tried to keep his distance from the enemy; and once the enemy was completely above ground, he stopped attacking and quickly assessed the area, finding Iruka right in front of him, and Kakashi a little behind and to the side, where he hadn't moved from beside the hole. He raised his hands, ready to cast another justu; and just as he got to the third sign, the tag on his back exploded. He hadn't noticed it at all.

It erupted with a loud _boom_ like the trap that had gone off before; and as Iruka waited for the smoke to clear, he became anxious, wondering what he would find. He didn't like to kill people, but the enemy had clearly been trying to kill them; so if he did end up dead from the attack, it was for the best. But instead, Iruka was hoping he was just unconscious, because he was really curious about who this man was; and he wanted to know who had sent him to kill Kakashi.

Finally, the smoke began to thin; and Iruka squinted his eyes, searching for the enemy, trying to figure out what had happened to him. He gripped his kunai tighter in anticipation as the battlefield became clearer; and when he saw the silhouette right where the tag had gone off, Iruka's eyes widened in shock, and he took a small step back. Not only was the man alive, he was standing upright with the same blank expression he held before, staring directly at him, ready to fight. The only difference now, was that he was missing an arm; and a waterfall of blood was splattering out the socket.

"Hmph." The man said dully, like losing an arm was just a minor inconvenience. Then suddenly, Iruka noticed a change in the atmosphere; and the enemy's chakra levels began to spike.

He was becoming even stronger.


	9. Chapter 9

Iruka couldn't believe what he was seeing. He thought he had won, or that he and Kakashi would be close to defeating their enemy after his stealth attack with the explosive tag; but instead, the man in front him had grown stronger, and seemed to be transforming.

The strange marks on his neck seemed to spread right across his body, painting his skin in its black pattern; and when it reached his right shoulder, where his arm was now missing, the bleeding stopped, and the injury seemed to heal. But not only did it heal, it looked like a new arm was growing in its place, except it was dark like the markings on his body; and his fingers were now long and claw-like, and almost demonic. The man's eye colour also changed where the marking reached his face, turning his pupil a golden yellow, and staining the whites of his eyes black. A sinister, manic grin now crossed his face; and Iruka could see he was no longer aiming to kill because it was his job - he was doing it for the thrill.

"An arm for an arm. Let's see how you go against this!"

The enemy swat at Iruka with his new arm; and it extended, almost like a shadow, easily reaching him. Iruka jumped back, trying to avoid it; and three of the claws just reached him, slicing into his shoulder and tearing into the symbol on his uniform. The claws cut into him, leaving three lacerations in his skin, almost like a giant cat had slashed him; but although the wound was deep, it wasn't enough to maim him.

Even so, Iruka flitted back even further, gripping his arm as air hit and seemed to bite into his wound; and he watched from afar as he tried to come up with a plan. He wanted to help Kakashi fight, but he knew his limits, and there was nothing else he could do now that the enemy was completely out of his league; so he thought it would be best to observe - maybe he would notice something that would give them the upper hand again.

Kakashi was able to keep up with the enemy's attacks, and avoided his shadow hand pretty easily; but Iruka could see that they were pretty evenly matched, and that Kakashi was a lot more tired than the enemy seemed to be; and he was beginning to worry - if they couldn't defeat the enemy soon, they were both going to die. Iruka was desperate to come up with a plan, and he studied the fighting intently, still searching for something that would help them win; but the more he looked, the harder it was to spot anything.

The enemy immobilised Kakashi's body, much like the beginning of the battle; but this time the stone was thicker and stronger, making it even harder for him to break through; and Iruka rushed closer to him, ready to block whatever attack the man intended to use against Kakashi while he was defenseless and struggling to get out of the earth. As expected, the enemy started to weave signs for another earth attack; but after the second sign, his body suddenly spasmed then went rigid, like he had been shocked by something.

Iruka's eyes darted over to Kakashi, wondering if he had used his lightning in some other way; but he looked just as confused by the chain of events. And then his eyes grew wide in fear as he seemed to recognise what was happening; and he quickly broke free of the earth and flitted closer to Iruka, standing defensively as he waited to see if the enemy would still be coming after them.

The man growled in frustration, watching as his strange mark slowly returned to its original state, and the tips of his clawed fingers started to disappear; and he grit his teeth, trying to resist the transformation back to normal. But then his hand disappeared, which seemed to make him even angrier; and he glanced at both Kakashi and Iruka, his eyes burning with bloodlust.

"Never mind." he said to himself. "I'll kill them both in one hit."

Iruka stared in shock as the enemy's shadow hand grew back, as well as the mark; and he became rooted in place, stunned, as he felt an even greater surge of chakra, like the man was summoning every ounce he had, coating himself in a thin blanket as it leaked out of him. Once the man had recharged himself, he shot through a series of hand signs; and the ground began to rumble again, as rough as an earthquake; and every rock in the vicinity, big, medium, and small, seemed to rise, gathering in the air, metres above them, stretching across an area neither Iruka nor Kakashi would be able to avoid.

A thousand thoughts raced through Iruka's head as he tried to figure out what to do, how he could stop at least some of them from hitting him and Kakashi; but the more he thought about it, the more he realised he didn't have any more tricks up his sleeve. He'd have to take them all at once and hope he didn't die. As he prepared himself for this, the last stone finally settled into place; and the enemy unclasped his hands, performing the last part of the jutsu; and soon, the sky started to rain rocks, falling heavier than hail as they slammed into the ground.

"Iruka!"

Kakashi dived for Iruka just as the stones started to fall. He had seen that there was no time to get him out of the way of the jutsu; and there was no way he could counter it and create a shelter to protect him, so Kakashi did the only thing he could to help Iruka. He knocked him into the ground and hovered over him, face looking down at his, deciding to take the blows himself, using his own body as a shield; and Iruka stared up at him in horror, too stunned to do anything else.

As the stones fell, they thudded heavily into Kakashi's back, some cutting into him with their sharp edges, and others bruising and trying to crush him; and Kakashi adjusted his position, lowering himself and bringing his arms closer to Iruka to completely shelter him from any of the falling rocks. He grit his teeth as pain rippled through him, reopening old wounds and creating new ones; but he didn't cry out. No, he wouldn't do that. Even though his back was burning, throbbing, and stinging like someone was ripping his skin away; even though every continuous hit made him see more and more stars as the impact rattled through him; even though his muscles were on fire and shaking as he held himself up. No, he wouldn't cry out. He wouldn't traumatise Iruka any further by letting him know how much it hurt.

Finally, the rocks stopped falling; and as Kakashi stared into Iruka's shocked eyes, even though he hurt all over, he felt good. For the first time in a while, he hadn't killed anyone. For the first time in a while, he'd been able to fight on his own terms; and for what felt like the first time ever, he'd been able to protect someone important to him. Even if it was at the expense of his own life. Kakashi flashed Iruka a weak smile.

"I'm glad saving you was the last thing I could do." he murmured. "My life wasn't completely worthless, after all."

His muscles grew weak as the last of his strength left him, and the world became shrouded in darkness as his vision began to fade; and finally, he fell, collapsing on top of Iruka, his head landing on his chest.

"Hmph. Guess it's your lucky day."

Iruka looked over at the enemy, noticing right away that his mark had returned to normal; and as soon as he made eye contact, the man's eyes started to slowly glaze over; and he opened his mouth to say one last thing.

"If you don't want to end up like him, don't follow me. Everything will be worse for you, since you're not as strong."

And just like that, the man became completely absentminded and expressionless, even more blank than when he had first started fighting them; and he turned and walked away slowly, almost shuffling, as he left to wherever he needed to be. It was like he no longer had any control over his actions. Like he had been put into some kind of trance. 

When he was out of sight, Iruka turned his attention back to Kakashi; and his eyes widened in fear when he realised his body was too still, like he wasn't breathing.

"Kakashi!"

Iruka wriggled about beneath him, quickly pulling himself up; and he grabbed Kakashi's wrist, pressing two fingers against it, searching for a pulse. _Please be okay! Please be okay!,_ he prayed. One second… Five seconds… Ten seconds. Nothing. Iruka's heart began to pound wildly as panic flooded through him.

"Kakashi, don't you dare!" he said shakily. "I'm responsible for you, so y-you're not allowed to die. Remember?"

Iruka put his fingers on his neck, and tried searching for his pulse again, hoping he had been mistaken the first time; and a huge wave of relief rushed through him when he felt the gentle throbs pressing back against his fingers. Kakashi was still alive. His breathing was very shallow; but he was alive. Iruka hugged him, happy that he hadn't died; and his eyes widened in surprise, and his hands tensed when he touched something wet and slimy soaking through Kakashi's shirt _. Blood_.

Iruka looked down at Kakashi's peaceful unconscious expression, contrast to the fear in his own; and he brushed a lock of hair out of his face as he took a deep breath. It was time.

"I'm sorry, but I have to check on you now. I have to see everything you've been trying to hide."

Iruka carefully peeled Kakashi's shirt away, cringing as it glided along the blood on his back and started to drip where it had soaked it all in. He felt so wrong doing this, knowing that Kakashi didn't want anyone to see his body, and that he would have said no to this if he was conscious; but he knew he had to. This time, Kakashi couldn't tend to his injuries; but something had to be done to make sure he stayed alive. Iruka placed the shirt to the side, and moved so he could see his back properly; and the moment he laid eyes on him, he gasped loudly and tears blurred his vision.

"K-Kakashi… What did they do to you?"

Kakashi's back was raw and bleeding all over from tiny cuts the rocks had made as they'd fallen; and there were faint scars from what looked like lashes, where someone had whipped him over and over. But even worse than that… Just below his shoulder blades, stretching across a space almost as big as both his hands was a large mark branded across his skin, of the Leaf symbol with a line struck through, signifying that he had abandoned the village. Iruka was heartbroken. With a mark like that, it was no wonder Kakashi had been trying to hide his body.

Without another word, Iruka whipped out his first aid kit, and the spare supplies he had in his summoning scroll; and he got to work cleaning all the blood from Kakashi's back and fixing up what he could. When he looked at his front, he was still upset to see so many wounds across his skin; but he was also pleasantly surprised to find that some of the bruises had disappeared and were fading, and that the laceration on his stomach hadn't opened up again and seemed to be healing just fine.

Finally, when everything had been looked at, and a fresh roll of bandages had been wrapped around Kakashi's body, Iruka manoeuvred him so that he was resting in his lap, leaning against his chest; and he held him in his arms, holding and caressing his hands with his own as he watched over him.

Kakashi had suffered so much; and all he wanted to do was make his pain go away.


	10. Chapter 10

When Iruka woke up, the first thing he noticed was that Kakashi was gone. He didn't think he'd run away; but he was no longer in his lap; and Iruka was a little disappointed. He'd felt warm with Kakashi leaning against him, and had found his scent particularly comforting; and would have liked to enjoy the sensation just a little more.

He looked around the forest curiously, wondering what Kakashi was up to; and found him not too far away, seated in front of a fire that looked like it had been burning for a good hour or so. He seemed content, and almost boyish and innocent, poking around at the burning coals with a long stick; and Iruka smiled as his hand twitched, itching to ruffle his hair.

He got up to greet Kakashi; and suddenly a delicious aroma hit his nose; and he stopped moving, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply. It was fresh and salty, and almost metallic, like he was browsing the meats at the market; and alongside was a hint of the charred, roasted flavour of something being grilled; and his stomach grumbled ravenously - Kakashi was cooking fish. When he opened his eyes again, he looked in the fire and saw several different types, skewered, and poking up in the flames; and he made his way over eagerly, wondering how long it would be before the food was ready.

"Morning!"

"Morning, Iruka." Kakashi replied contently, removing his stick from the fire.

"You look a lot better." He commented, noticing how Kakashi's colour had returned. "How do you feel?"

"My back is sore, and feels very bruised; but other than that, I'm fine."

"Good. Come here."

"Huh?"

"Just come here. Please." Iruka requested softly, beckoning him over with his arm.

Kakashi did as he was told, curious of what was about to happen; and when he was standing in front of him, Iruka closed the distance and wrapped his arms around him, and pulled him into a warm, gentle embrace.

"I-Iruka?" Kakashi blushed, returning the gesture.

When they pulled away, Kakashi gazed into Iruka's eyes, his heart pounding fast and his chest going fuzzy, wondering what had gotten into him; and Iruka stared back, smiling warmly, his expression saying more than words ever could, showing him how much he cared. Then suddenly, the moment was gone; and Iruka did the last thing Kakashi expected. He thumped him on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" He pouted, rubbing the area.

"For trying to sacrifice yourself last night! Don't you ever do that again!" Iruka scolded, placing his hands on his hips. "Okay?"

"O-Okay. I won't." Kakashi answered timidly.

Iruka's way of caring wasn't something he was used to; and he didn't really know how to respond to it - he wasn't even sure why Iruka cared in the first place; but with every gesture, and every act of kindness touching his soul, he felt closer and closer to him each day. Maybe if they'd met under different circumstances, he could have explored this feeling with him and seen where it lead…

"Good." Iruka's expression softened; and he ruffled Kakashi's hair affectionately.

"Now, how long until that fish is ready? It smells really good!"

"A couple of minutes, I think. But it's cooked enough now."

"Great. Let's eat! I'm starving!"

By the time they finished eating, Kakashi's shirt had dried; and he put it on again, ready to leave. He hadn't been able to get all the blood out of it, but it was a lot cleaner than it had been when Iruka had first taken it off him, and still a lot better than the one he had been found in. Once that was done, and they finished cleaning up their campsite, Kakashi gave it one final sweep to double check they wouldn't be leaving anything behind; and finally, he and Iruka left on what they guessed would be their last day of travel together.

They were expecting to be back at the village by sunset; and Iruka was really looking forward to returning home. But he was also worried about what would happen to Kakashi. They'd been through so much together; and although he started out as a stranger, and a prisoner, by the end of the trip, Iruka felt closer to him than ever, like he'd known him his entire life. He knew how badly he had suffered, and he didn't want anything else to happen to him; but considering his crimes, taking Kakashi back to the village was like handing him a death sentence. So what was he supposed to do? Finish the mission, or let Kakashi go?

"You're awfully quiet." Kakashi commented. He'd been watching Iruka; and he'd been zoned out most of the trip, frowning to himself.

"I've just been thinking…" he said.

"If there's something you want to talk about…" Kakashi offered awkwardly, though he didn't think he'd be much help.

"Actually... Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"That mark on your back… And everything else…" Iruka began hesitantly. "You never wanted to become a missing nin, did you?"

"No..."

"Then... What happened? How did you end up where you are now?"

"It was a failed mission... My ANBU team and I were investigating a case where an entire village had gone missing; and it lead to us discovering that other people in the surrounding areas were going missing, too - especially the children. During our investigation, we learnt that a group of missing nin working for Orochimaru was kidnapping them, and killing those who resisted; so we stayed in one of the places having trouble to gather intel. I spotted a kidnapping, and followed the culprit back to their base, somewhere in the forest; and just as I was deciding to meet back up with the rest of the team to share what I had found, someone I hadn't been able to detect shot my arm with a blow dart, and I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I was in a cell wearing different clothes; and I could barely move, because my stomach hurt. A lot."

"Hurt, like you were beaten up?" Iruka asked curiously.

"No… They put something in me." Kakashi said heavily. "Something that controlled me and what I did."

"Controlled you? Like that guy we fought?" Iruka asked, remembering how the enemy had been trying to fight something off, and then ended up in a trance that made him stop the battle and leave. Kakashi nodded.

"Everything I did… Every child I kidnapped, every innocent person I killed…" he whispered, trembling with every word he said. "It was because of that... It was because I couldn't stop the control."

Iruka could hear the pain in Kakashi's voice, sharing his unspoken feelings. Kakashi was desperately screaming out for help, for someone to save him. His heart had shredded into pieces, crumbling into nothing the first time he had taken a screaming child from their family, and the first time he had to kill someone who had been trying to stop him; and now he felt like there was nothing else there, like he was dead inside. That was why he was so quick to sacrifice himself. All the guilt, disgust, and hatred towards himself was too much to bear - he didn't think he deserved to live after destroying so many lives; and even though he knew it wasn't his fault, that he was being controlled, he blamed himself for everything. This whole time, the whole three years he was gone, he'd been suffering terribly. He truly hadn't wanted any of this to happen; but it had, no matter what he had tried to prevent it. And now everything was catching up to him. 

Iruka stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't want to take you back to the village anymore." he said. "Everyone thinks you did it on purpose; and there's a lot of people who want you dead, or locked away for the rest of your life."

"I had a feeling people would think that… But that's okay - it's nothing I can't handle." Kakashi said, taking a deep breath. "Besides, once we're at the village, it will be the Hokage deciding what to do with me; and I will gladly accept whatever decision he makes. I need to atone for my crimes."

"But you've suffered so much already; and it wasn't your fault to begin with!" Iruka stepped forward, placing his hands on Kakashi's chest. "I don't think you should return. Leave while you have the chance."

"Ru…" Kakashi murmured, staring intently at Iruka's passionate expression as he brushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear and gently cupped his face. "You need to bring me home. That was your mission from the start. You've come so far already; and I don't want to see you fail."

"But I _will_ be failing… I'll be failing _you_ , if I do!" he cried out, gripping Kakashi's shirt tighter.

"That's the way it has to be." Kakashi smiled sadly, running a hand over Iruka's head and resting it on his shoulder. "So please, see this through to the end. That's what I want you to do."

Iruka's eyes quickly glistened, and his lips began to quiver; and just as the first tear trickled down his pained face, he pressed his head against Kakashi, burying it into his chest.

"It's not fair!" he sobbed, letting heavy tears soak into his shirt.

He didn't want to part with Kakashi, he didn't want their time together to end; and he wanted to keep him safe. Kakashi had been through so much already; and he didn't want him to face anything else. It wasn't fair that he had to go, that he was going to lose his freedom again after finally escaping captivity. He didn't deserve any of this.

Kakashi pulled him in tighter, choking back his own tears as he felt Iruka's pain radiate through him. He didn't want to part, either - and admittedly, he was scared to; but he knew deep down that he had to. When they reached the village, he would have to be taken away. It was time to face the consequences of his actions...

Iruka slid his hands up from Kakashi's chest, and hooked them around his neck, pressing himself even closer against him.

"I'm going to fight for you, 'Kashi." he murmured. "I'm going to get you back."


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was starting to set; and a ball of excitement and anxiety swirled in Iruka's chest. He was nearly home. And after such a long journey, he was looking forward to returning. So much had happened; and he was exhausted - all he wanted to do was have a nice, hot shower, and then go and sleep in an actual bed for as long as his body would let him, and then lounge around even longer when he woke up. That would be the perfect way to end the mission. Maybe he'd stop by Ichiraku, too, and get some take out so he wouldn't have to cook. 

Looking around, he noticed that they were finally on the last stretch of path; and he could see the top of the village gates in the horizon. _Home_. He was happy to see the gates and know he had made it, against all odds; but he was also sad - after this, he wouldn't be able to see Kakashi, whom he had become quite attached to.

Iruka stopped walking, and turned to him.

"Well, this is it..." he said hesitantly.

He stared into Kakashi's eyes, reflecting on everything they experienced together, from when he was found, to falling off a cliff and nearly drowning, to the fun, simple moments like his teasing, and sharing tea together; and he knew now more than ever that he didn't want to bring Kakashi back to the village. At least, not while there were people who hated him, and while his freedom would be taken away again. He had to clear Kakashi's name, first.

"Are you sure you don't want to leave?" he asked. "You could go, travel and explore the world while I get things sorted here; and we could keep in touch with a messenger hawk. And when you're close, I could come out to see you. You could be free again."

"That sounds really nice, and I appreciate how much you want to look out for me," Kakashi replied, placing his hands on Iruka's shoulders, "but this is something I have to do. I need to go home."

Iruka swallowed hard, fighting back tears - he'd already had his cry; and he wanted to make this a nicer memory for Kakashi. Goodbyes were always hard; but they were less painful when no one was crying. So this time, as he pulled Kakashi into a tight embrace, he just held onto him like his life depended on it, soaking up his comforting scent, enjoying the closeness.

"I'm going to miss you..." he murmured into his chest.

"Me too, Ru." Kakashi replied, rubbing his back soothingly as Iruka's warmth filled his soul.

Finally, they separated from one another; and Iruka took one last look at Kakashi, taking in all his features, committing them to memory.

"Okay," he said sadly, "let's go."

As Iruka began to slowly trudge along the last length of the road, Kakashi froze, as it really sunk in that he may never see him again after this. His heart thumped wildly as he watched Iruka continue on, oblivious to the fact that he hadn't caught up yet; and butterflies fluttered in his stomach when he realised what he wanted to do; what he _had_ to do before he was taken away. If he couldn't see Iruka again, he had to tell him one last thing; he had to give him the goodbye he deserved.

"Wait."

"Huh? What is it?"

Iruka turned around to see Kakashi hurrying towards him, moving almost desperately to catch up; and when he did, he cupped his face and stared into his eyes endearingly.

"There's one last thing I forgot to do."

Kakashi caressed Iruka's face as he leaned in, and tenderly pressed his lips against his; and Iruka melted into his touch, wrapping his arms around him, pulling him even closer. This was what he needed; for Kakashi to make the first move, and tell him his feelings were the same; that their intimate connection wasn't one-sided. He needed this kiss more than anything, to hear and say the words that neither of them had been able to say; and because there was so much to tell, he didn't want it to end.

Iruka parted his lips, asking for more, as he ran a hand through Kakashi's hair; and Kakashi pressed into him, tasting him completely as he slid his tongue through, exploring his mouth. Iruka was intoxicating and sweet against his lips; and Kakashi couldn't get enough of him. But as the sun continued to set and the world became darker, he knew he would have to stop soon. It was nearly time to go.

Kakashi gave Iruka one last passionate kiss, and then a few more gentle, tender ones, until he finally, slowly broke apart. His face was flushed, and he could see that Iruka's was, too - it was the same gentle tinge across his cheeks that he had become so fond of when he teased him; and he smiled to himself as he took in Iruka's sweet, adoring expression.

"Thank you, for everything." he finally said. He carefully took Iruka's hand in his; and turned toward the village gates. "Now, let me walk you home." 

They followed the path in a comfortable silence, enjoying their last moment together; and soon, the gates were completely in view. Iruka was getting nervous now - any moment, they would be spotted, and their time together would end; and he squeezed Kakashi's hand tightly, afraid of what would come. Kakashi returned the gesture as they walked, closer and closer to the gates; and soon, they could see some of the shinobi on guard duty, turning to look at them. Then one of the guards jumped up, very alert. This was it.

"Hey, it's Iruka!" they shouted. "He's alive!"

"Wait, is he with _Hatake_?! Quick! We need to get ANBU!"

Almost instantly, a pair of ANBU officers appeared out of nowhere, waiting outside the gates, stopping them from entering. Kakashi and Iruka stopped walking, and waited expectantly for them to speak. One of the officers stepped forward to restrain Kakashi; and when Iruka's hand was suddenly empty and cold again, he fought every urge to stop the ANBU from handcuffing him. _This is what Kakashi wanted_ , he told himself. _Don't make it any more painful than it has to be._

"Hatake Kakashi, you're under arrest for multiple kidnappings and murders across the country, as well as treason, for going against our village and working for a known enemy. We will be taking you to the Torture and Investigation unit for further questioning."

And just like that, they started taking him away. Iruka was distraught - he wanted to cry out, snatch Kakashi right out of their hands, and run away with him; but he knew he couldn't. There were so many reasons why not. Instead, he stood there, watching in horror through blurred vision, as his companion was being escorted, and taken to another place of captivity. Then suddenly, Kakashi slowed down, and turned around to face him; and when their gazes met, he flashed a pure, genuine smile that came from his very soul.

"I'm never going to forget you, Ru." he murmured, his voice carrying with the wind. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

And soon, he was out of sight; and Iruka was left standing in front of the gate, feeling more alone than ever.

Kakashi was _gone._


	12. Chapter 12

Kakashi was sitting in an interrogation room; and he'd been there for hours. There was nothing to look at, except the bland walls and the empty table in front of him; and there was nothing to do, except drink the last of his water, which had been served to him in a plastic cup; and think. He'd spent the majority of the time with Iruka on his mind, and how he had done so much for him and brought light into his world; but his head had wandered to dark places, too, recalling everything that had happened, and what was to come. And after thinking so much, he was getting sleepy, being stuck in this dimly lit room. But just as he was starting to doze off, the door opened; and in stepped Ibiki, the head of the interrogation unit.

He closed the door behind him, and stalked in, taking a seat at the only other chair in the room; and for a moment, he didn't say anything, instead just simply placing a manilla folder on the desk, labelled with his name. Ibiki opened it to reveal a pile of documents; and picked up the first page to read through it.

"Hatake. I'm sure you know how this goes; but if you comply, things will work out okay. If you don't, I will still get answers from you, but you will experience a whole new level of pain in the process."

"I understand. I'm going tell you everything."

"Good. Now let's begin." Ibiki said, placing the paper down. "You're here because you were arrested for kidnapping, murder, and treason - working for Orochimaru, a known enemy to the village. Tell me if I'm wrong."

"You're not…" Kakashi answered quietly, staring at the table. "I betrayed the village. And everyone else…"

"And what was the reason for this?" Ibiki asked. "What happened on your ANBU mission to make you change sides?" Kakashi looked up in surprise.

"You know about my mission?"

"Yes. The case is still an ongoing investigation."

"Oh… I know where the base is; and I have information on the people running it. I can tell you more about it." Kakashi offered.

"You can give me all the specifics later. For now, I want to hear about why you committed all those crimes; why you started working for the very people you were trying to apprehend."

"It… wasn't by choice." he faltered. "When I was investigating the area, I got captured; and when I woke up, I was in a cell, and had some kind of chip implanted in me. I didn't know what it was at the time; but when it was activated, it made me lose control of my actions. Whenever I was supposed to go somewhere, it would start up; and my body would move on its own to wherever it was programmed to go. There was nothing I could do except watch myself take children from their families, and kill others who tried to rescue them or just got in the way - I couldn't even speak; and no matter what I tried, I couldn't stop it from happening."

"So what you're saying is you're the victim in all this."

"No! I kidnapped and _killed_ people - _they_ are the victims. And their family and friends." Kakashi exclaimed. "I was just… caught up in it all."

"Hatake…" Ibiki sighed exasperatedly. If he really had been captured, didn't he realise that he was a victim, too, being under someone else's control? Or was he too caught up in what he'd done to consider himself one? He shook his head. "Never mind. Let's continue. Where did you take the people you kidnapped?"

"To one of Orochimaru's labs, near where I was being held. They were being experimented on. Orochimaru was developing some kind of curse mark, from what I could see; and a lot of people working in the facility had similar marks to the ones being developed."

Ibiki pursed his lips and flicked through the documents on the table, comparing the notes to Kakashi's explanation as though trying to determine whether he was being truthful or not. His story seemed to fit; but he was concerned about something.

"Regarding that device that controlled your actions, how come it never deactivated when you left your cell? Was there someone with you to make sure it didn't?"

"I really don't know; and I can't remember if there was anyone with me... But when I was finally able to take it out of my stomach, I found out it was attached to my chakra. I don't know how it works, but I think it acts similarly to the puppet technique. Perhaps it's an artificial version of the jutsu…"

"Hmm... Why did it take you three years to get the chip out of your body?"

"I… didn't have the opportunity to." Kakashi said, fiddling nervously with his fingers. "Whoever inserted it also closed the wound when they were done; and when I was in my cell, there were… other things that happened…"

"What do you mean by 'other things'?"

Kakashi stared absently at his hands as he recalled those dark moments, of being held down and abused, and being tortured when he had been interrogated and refused to give up any information about the village. He remembered how hot he felt when the molten iron burnt the Leaf missing nin symbol into his back, and how it had gone numb but the area around it felt raw; and he remembered the days his mind had tormented him so much, dropping him into a guilt-ridden, lonely abyss, that he would do anything to end his life.

"I see." Ibiki said. He knew Kakashi's expression very well, of someone who had been tortured and was suffering immensely.

"Tell me, then, Hatake. How did you end up escaping? How did you end up returning here with Umino?"

"After I… got an injury near the location of the chip, I was able to take it out of me in my cell; and later that day, I was let out to do a task. I followed the path my body always took me; and as soon as I was far enough away, I ran. No one caught me inside because the cells were set up to operate automatically; but when I was outside, I think a guard caught me running off, and chased me down. I was eventually able to outrun them and get away, but I got hit with a poison-laced senbon, which messed up my memory a little for a couple of days. I didn't know where I was going after that, and stumbled into a hunting trap; and when I regained consciousness, it turned out Iruka had an antidote and used it on me. He saved me."

"Hold up just a moment." Ibiki said, frowning. He went through the documents and scanned a piece of paper.

"That's strange…" he mumbled. "Why wasn't this reported…?"

"Hn?"

"The person who wrote the mission report didn't mention you at all…"

"What about the waterfall incident?" Ibiki glanced at Kakashi curiously, then back at the report.

"It just says that Umino fell off the cliff, and no body was found."

"No body was found because no one looked for us." Kakashi clenched his fists as his blood began to boil. "Iruka and I waited at the bottom of the cliff for half a day, right near where we landed; but no one came. And Iruka didn't just fall off - he leapt a bit too far trying to save me, because one of his teammates pretended to trip to knock me over the edge. He knew what Iruka would do; and was hoping he would fall with me."

"That's a serious accusation, Hatake." Ibiki said sternly. "Do you realise what you're saying?"

"Yes. You can have someone search my memories to confirm this, if you don't believe me." Kakashi said steadily. "Mizuki is a threat to the village. If not to conspire against it, why else would he not report his team's encounter with me, a wanted missing nin?"

"How did you…?" Ibiki trailed off. He hadn't shown the mission report to Kakashi, and it was hidden behind a wad of other documents; so there wasn't any way he could have seen the signature at the bottom.

"I had a feeling." he said. "You might want to search my memories from before the waterfall incident, too. I'm sure you will find his views… interesting."

"Very well, then." Ibiki said. "Inoichi is supposed to be going through your mind anyway; so it will be interesting to see if you are telling the truth. In the meantime, I want you to tell me the rest of the story. Tell me everything that happened after you and Iruka got separated from the rest of his team."

"Okay. I'll start from when we fell from the cliff."

And so Kakashi told Ibiki all about the man who captured his heart, discussing the important things like how they stumbled across an enemy; but also the lighter things like how Iruka had gotten lost in the beginning. And the more he shared, the more he wanted to go back in time and experience it all over again; because even though they hadn't been apart for long, Kakashi already missed Iruka a lot.

He would do anything to reunite with him.


	13. Chapter 13

Iruka had a lot on his mind. It had been almost a month since he had returned from the village; and he still didn't know what was going to happen to Kakashi. He had asked the Sandaime about it; but he only ever said that it was still being decided, and had attended several meetings with the council to come to a conclusion. There were strict punishments for shinobi who betrayed the village; and the weight of Kakashi's crimes meant he would be sentenced to death. But after finding evidence through his memories that he was innocent despite his actions, there had been a huge uproar; and now no one knew what to do with him.

Iruka was worried about Kakashi's fate; but he was also upset about something else. Mizuki was arrested for treason and attempted murder; and when he had been taken in for questioning, he confessed to knocking Kakashi off the cliff, and had claimed that the reason he hadn't checked to see if either he or Iruka was alive was because he thought it was a waste of time. He'd convinced Aoba not to check, too, and told him that when they got to the village, he would report it and make sure a search party was sent out; but he never intended to. And Iruka felt betrayed by this. He thought he knew Mizuki, and had considered him one of his closest friends; but Mizuki clearly didn't care about him at all…

With everything that had happened - being betrayed by a friend, and supported by someone who was supposed to be a traitor to the village, Iruka felt like his moral compass was all messed up, and he didn't know who to trust; and he was beginning to think maybe he wasn't cut out for the field anymore. He couldn't just quit without a plan, though - how was he going to pay his bills? He had to do something; but what were his options in the village? There was the usual duties like guard shifts and mission desk work, he supposed; but that wouldn't be enough to cover everything… Maybe he could teach at the academy? But how would he go about doing that…? Perhaps he would ask the Sandaime later...

Iruka sighed, and made his way past the front garden to his house; and he let himself inside, kicking his shoes off and getting out of his vest. The sunlight splattering into his home cast a calm, soothing atmosphere that lulled him into relaxation; and he half wanted to jump into bed and have a nap; but instead, his legs dragged him to the kitchen, and he was eventually convinced to make some tea.

He turned on the jug and reached across to the upper shelf to grab a mug; and a bag of tea fell down when he opened the door - the very same tea that he had shared with Kakashi. He stared at it for a moment as he recalled their journey together, wishing more than ever that he could see him again; and he carefully placed it back in the cupboard, deciding to save it for a special occasion. Then just as he was about to grab his mug, there was a gentle knock at the door; and Iruka internally groaned - he wasn't in the mood for visitors.

He trudged to the front door, trying to figure out who was there; but although he recognised their chakra signature, he wasn't familiar enough with it to be able to tell who it was. He frowned in confusion, becoming a little more interested in who was waiting; and when he finally unlatched and opened the door to reveal who was on the other side, all he could do was stare in shock.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Kakashi was there, standing right in front of him, at his _house_. He was wearing what seemed to be uniform slacks and a plain civilian shirt; and beneath the shirt was an undershirt with a mask attachment that hid half his face, as well as an eyepatch hiding his sharingan eye. He looked like a free man. 

"Um, hi, Ru."

"W-What are you doing here?" Iruka stammered in disbelief. 

"The Sandaime gave me your address, saying you've been asking about me." Kakashi said somewhat nervously. "He came to a decision this morning, and has pardoned my crimes, and is allowing me to stay here in the village. I have also been suspended from missions, at least for another year or two, depending on my psych evaluation results; and if I ever return to the field, it will only be with a genin team. No more ANBU work - he wants me to be a jounin sensei."

"I-I can't believe it! That's wonderful news!" Iruka cried, pulling Kakashi into a warm embrace.

It had been too long since he had held him like this; and he wanted to hold into him forever, and make up for all the time they'd missed.

"I'm so happy to see you again!" he murmured into Kakashi's chest.

"Me, too, Ru."

When Iruka eventually broke the hug, he pulled Kakashi's mask down and kissed him passionately, then leaned back, resting his hands on his shoulders; and admired him with an excited grin on his face. Kakashi stared back, blushing as he took in Iruka's expression; and suddenly he glanced away shyly, and Iruka felt the atmosphere become a little awkward, like he had something on his mind.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ah… It's just…" Kakashi ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "I um, don't have anywhere to stay right now; and it's going to take a bit of time to get everything sorted." He looked up at Iruka nervously, his heart pounding fast.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but, um… Would it be okay if I stay with you, until I can get back on my feet?"

"Of course! You can stay with me for as long as you like."

"R-Really? Are you sure?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, definitely!" Iruka exclaimed, taking his hand. "Now come on in, and I'll get us some tea."

As Kakashi got dragged along, feeling warmer and safer with every step, like he was truly home now, he made a vow to himself. One of these days, _he_ was going to be the one responsible for _Iruka_ ; and he was going to give him the world. Because that's what he deserved; and more.

Yes. He was going to give everything to the man who saved his life.


	14. Epilogue

"Kakashi, are you ready to leave?"

"I am... But I wasn't aware that we had plans today?" he answered in confusion, following Iruka to go and put his shoes on.

"That's because I never said anything." Iruka smiled, his eyes glittering excitedly. "I've organised a surprise for you."

"Hn? A surprise?" Kakashi asked curiously. "You do know it's not my birthday, or anything, right?"

"Does it matter whether there's a special occasion or not?"

"Mm… I guess not."

"Exactly." Iruka said, opening the front door. "Now stop asking questions, and come with me."

"O-Okay."

Iruka grabbed Kakashi's hand excitedly, practically dragging him out of the house; and took him through the village, passing the fruit and vegetable markets, and all the knick knack and clothing stores in between; and the further they travelled, the more curious Kakashi became. Where was he being taken? What did Iruka have in store for him?

They passed all the eateries and date places, too; and as Kakashi marked off all the destinations in the direction they were heading, that he thought Iruka might be taking him, there became a point where he could no longer predict even which area they would end up. Then finally they came to a stop; and Kakashi stared at the building in confusion.

"Maa, this is the hospital. What are we doing here?"

"Your surprise is inside." Iruka said mysteriously. Kakashi glanced at him hesitantly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Iruka giggled. "Now, come on - we don't have all day!"

Kakashi was taken past all the main wards to a section he had never been to before; and Iruka lead him into a private room, where a woman in a green coat was writing something down on a clipboard. When she heard them come in, she turned around to see who was there.

"Oh, good. You're here." she said.

Kakashi froze, and his eyes grew wide as he took in the woman's features; going from her blonde hair tied back into loose pigtails, to the small diamond in the centre of her forehead, to the necklace resting over her bust.

"Y-You're… Tsunade, the legendary Sannin." he stammered in disbelief. He turned to Iruka. "W-What's going on?"

"I tracked her down, as I had a request for her. It took a while to find her and convince her to accept it, but she finally agreed to return to the village to do it."

"And what was that request? What is she going to do?" Kakashi asked in confusion, feeling a little nervous.

"I asked if she could remove the missing nin mark from your back."

Kakashi's mind went blank, and he stared dumbly at Iruka as he tried to process what he'd just said. That mark on his back, that he hated so much; the one remaining reminder on his body about what had happened in the three years he had disappeared; that one ugly, horrific symbol that he was forced to wear every day… It was finally going to be taken away. No one would ever have to see it again.

"A-Are you serious?" he asked timidly, still unable to process that this was really happening.

"Absolutely." Iruka smiled warmly.

Kakashi's vision blurred as he became overwhelmed with emotion. Five long years, he'd had that mark branded on his back; and it was finally over - he could finally be free from his dark past. And it was all because of Iruka. Iruka, who was always saving him; Iruka who loved him unconditionally; Iruka, who deserved the world.

Kakashi leapt into his arms, and hugged him tightly as he let his feelings leak from his soul; and Iruka returned the gesture, his heart bursting with affection as Kakashi's emotions poured into him, too. Then finally, when Kakashi pulled away, he kissed Iruka on the cheek, and gazed into his eyes fondly as he held him close.

"I love you so much." he murmured. "If I could marry you again, I would."

"K-Kakashi…" Iruka breathed, going in for a kiss.

"Um, are you done yet?" Tsunade interrupted. "I would actually like to finish this today."

"Y-Yes, I'm done." Kakashi said, slightly embarrassed, stepping aside to prepare for the procedure.

He was done with that chapter of his life, and ready to move on to his new beginning. And he couldn't wait to see where the future lead; because as long as he had Iruka by his side, he knew that everything would be okay.

As long as Iruka was there, he would never be trapped in the dark again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a mod of the Kakairu Rocks forum. It's a community for all kakairu lovers aged 13+, and there is all sorts of things to see & do, from perusing member fanworks and other recs, joining in with our weekly headcanon discussions, and participating in fun, exciting events! Please [come and check us out](https://kakairu.rocks/)! We'd love to see you there!


End file.
